Folding coop.



J. D. PAGE.

FOLDING COOP.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.2 6 1912 1 071 458. Patented Aug. 26, 1913. Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

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J. D. PAGE.

FOLDING COOP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1912.

1,071,458. Patented Aug. 26 1913.

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JEFFERSON D. PAGE, OF ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA.

FOLDING COOP.

Application filed December 26, 1912.

, ticularly as a chicken coop, the principles of the invention may be employed for the production of other contalners, such as boxes or crates, and in the following description,

which for convenience will be confined to a chicken coop, it will be understood that the term is intended to cover any container to which the invention is adapted.

The invention comprises a container composed of bottom, side, end and top members all connected together so that no part is liable to be separated from the others and misplaced or lost. The end members are so connected to the bottom member that they may be readily folded on the bottom memher and the side members are so connected to the bottom member that they may be in turn folded on the end members, while the top member is so related to the side members that it may be folded down upon the collapsed members in a manner to hold them firmly in place.

The top member is so connected to the side members that whether the coop be in the extended or collapsed condition the connecting means will bind the top member 1n a manner to render the connections firm and rigid, and, moreover, connections are provided between the side and end members which will hold these parts in locked condition and other connections are provided between the side and bottom members which, the coop is in the extended position, will relieve the hinge connections between the side and bottom members from strain under conditions of use.

The invent-ion will be best understood from a consideration of the following de tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification with the further understanding that while the drawings show a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Serial No. 738,778.

practical embodiment of the invention the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an end elevation of the coop in theextended position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an elevation viewed from the same end as Fig. 1 but showing the coop in the collapsed condition. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the side of the coop remote from that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is in part a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and showing some parts in elevation and also broken away to disclose some more distant parts. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting member between the top and one of the side members.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a coop composed of a bottom member 1, a top member 2, end members 3, and side members 4, 5, respectively. The bottom member 1 is composed of two longitudinal strips 6, 7 at opposite sides, and a flooring 8 connecting and bracing the side strips 6 and 7.

The side members 4 and 5 are each in the form of a frame made up of longitudinal strips 9 and end strips 10. The frame 4 has an intermediate strip 11 about midway between the end strips 10, while the frame 5 has an intermediate strip 12 nearer one end strip 10 than the other. The side member 4 is connected to the strip 6 by hinges 13 and the side member 5 is connected to the strip 7 by hinges 14 so disposed that the end member may fold down toward the bottom member 1 or may be moved to a position substantially at right angles to the plane of the bottom member, in which position if the bottom member be on a level support the side member 4 or 5, as the case may be, will stand upright. The hinges 13 and 14 are attached to what may be termed the inner faces of the lower strips 9 of the frames 4 and 5, and to the inner faces of the respective strips 6 and 7, so that these strips 6 and 7 form abutments preventing the frames 4 and 5 from being moved too far outwardly.

The end members 3 are substantially alike and each is in the form of a substantially rectangular frame formed of longitudinal strips 15 and side strips 16 and the length of the side strips is such that each.

frame 3 is approximately as high as the combined height of a frame 4 or and a longitudinal strip 6 or 7 of the bottom 1. Each frame 3 is pivotally connected to the strips 6 and 7 at the respective ends by dowel pins 17, those pins 17 extending through the strip 6 projecting beyond the outer face thereof for a short distance for a purpose which will presently appear.

Fast to the lower strip 9 of the side member are plates 18 which may be located adjacent to the hinges l t, and these plates are of a length to extend beyond that edge of the strip 9 which engages the strip 7 when the side member 5 is upright. The projecting end of each plate 18 is provided with a hole or passage 19 designed to receive a pin 20 projecting from the strip 7 when the side member 5 is upright. he plate 18 when engaging the pin 20 will serve to relieve the hinges 14 from undue strain should the coop 1 in the expanded position be lifted by a force applied to the upper part of the coop would be the natural way of lifting the coop. The strip 6 through which the dowel pins 17 project is provided with another projecting pin 21 in line with the intermediate member 11. Fast to the end strips 10 of the side member t and also to the intermediate strip 11 of the side member 4t are elongated bars 22, each with an elongated slot 23 therethrough, one bar being shown separately in Fig. 6. Each bar has one end 24 projecting at an angle from the body of the bar and the slot 23 is continued into this projecting end 24, which end is thickened toward the extremity so as to present a beveled surface 25 toward the body of the bar and the other end of the bar is thickened to provide a beveled surface 26 on what may be termed the inner face of the bar, or that engaging the side member t. The angle end 2st of each bar 22 is so disposed that the face remote from the beveled face 25 is flush with what constitutes the top edge of the side member when in the upright position, while the beveled end projects beyond that edge of the side member 4- designed to engage the strip 6 when the side member is in the upright position, and this projection is sufficient to bring the corresponding end of the slot 23 into such relation to the pins 17 or 21 as the case may be that such pins will enter the slots 23 in engagement with the corresponding end wall thereof when the side member f is in the upright position. The strip 6 is shaped where engaged by the beveled portion 26 to accommodate such beveled portion, and the strips 10 and 11 are recessed, as indicated at 2?, to receive the ends 2lof the bars and coincident with the slots 23 each strip 10 and 11 is longitudinally grooved, as indicated at 28. The top member 2 which may also be of frame construction, is connected along one edge to the several bars 22 by screws 29 or other headed connectors extending through the slots 23 with the heads engaging what may be termed the inner face of the respective bars, so that the heads of the screws prevent disengagement of the top member from the bars 22, while the screws may move with the top member 2 lengthwise of these bars.

Those portions of the side, end and top members which are in contact when the coop is expanded may be provided with pins 30 and seats or perforations 31 designed to receive the pins, thereby stiffening the structure when in the expanded position. That edge of the top member 2 remote from the edge secured by the screws 29 to the bars 22 is provided with hasps 32 so arranged as to engage over staples 33 carried by the side member while a lock member 3% is provided on each hasp to extend through the staple 33 in a manner to lock the hasp to the staple, and when locked a seal 35 may be applied. The hasp may be of known construction and requires no further descrip tion. The strip 7 may also be provided with staples 36 so situated that they may be engaged by the hasps when the device is in the collapsed position, as indicated in Fig. 3.

To hold the side and end members together when the coop is expanded and without regard to the top member since the lat ter must at times be opened, the side members have near what may be termed the upper ends plates 37 secured to them, which plates are so disposed and of such length as to extend partially over corresponding por tions of the end members 3 and the extended portion of each plate is formed with a slot 38 having a recess 39 on that side toward the side member 41: or to receive the head of a screw or other headed member carried by the respective end fame 3. The presence of the hinges 13 and lfl prevents the side members at and 5 from fitting snugly against the end members 3 when the parts are expanded, so that these side members at the portions remote from the hinges may have a little play and the plates 37 are so arranged that this play is sufficient to permit the introduction of the heads of the screws stO into the slots 38 at the recessed portions thereof and the spring of the side members will cause the plates 37 to move until. the heads of the screws 40 engage the corresponding end walls of the slots 38 to prevent movement of the end members 3 with respect to the side members l and 5 when not held by the top member 2.

The screws 29 are so arranged with re speei; to the ends 2st of the bars 22 that they will engage the beveled faces 25 of the extensions 2et of the bars 22 in a manner to draw the top 2 down tightly against what may be termed the top edges of the side and end members of the coop when the cover member is brought to the fully closed position and the hasps 32 engage over the staples 33. The bars 22 also serve as supports between the side member 1 and the bottom member 1 relieving the hinges 13 from strain when the expanded coop is lifted, the bars 22 serving in this respect for the same purpose as do the plates 18 on the side member -- the end members 3 may be folded down upon the bottom member 1 about the hinge dowel pins 17 and the parts are so proportioned that these end members will then be housed in the bottom member 1 substantially flush with the top edges of the strips 6 and 7. Now, the side members at and 5 are moved about the respective hinges 13 and 141- until they rest upon the end members 3. The top member in the meantime is relieved from the wedging action of the beveled face 25 of the end 24 of each bar 22 and may then be moved along the bar with the head of the screws 29 traveling in the slots 28. The folding down of the side member 4: upon the end members 3 has withdrawn the beveled end 26 of each bar 22 from the pins 17 and 21, so that ultimately the head of the screws 29 are brought into engagement with the beveled faces 26 and the top member is tightly forced against the bars 22 at the ends having the beveled faces 26 and some force must be applied to bring the top member down against the other members of the folded structure sufficiently to permit the engagement of the hasps 32 over the staples 36, thus even when the coop is in the folded condition the parts are firmly held together against looseness and rattling.

The bottom member 1 is customarily made with a relatively tight flooring, while the side, end and top members may be all made of frame construction with panels of woven material, such as wire netting customarily employed in coops, or the members making up the structure may be otherwise formed when the invention is constructed for other uses than that to which a coop is put. It is customary to make creates of slatted form and boxes with all parts solid, and as the invention is not confined to any particular use it may be employed either for coops, crates or boxes, or other containers where it is desirable to collapse the structure into small compass for shipment when not used for transportation.

V] hen the device is employed as a coop then the space between the intermediate strip 12 of the side member 5 and the nearer end strip 10 may be occupied by a door 41 which may be hinged by pins 42 near one edge and at the other edge be provided with a latch 4L3 by means of which the door is held normally in the closed position, but permitting the ready opening of the door for access to the interior of the coop. When the coop is being used for shipment the door latch may be protected in any suitable manner from unauthorized manipulation.

It is to be noted that the top member is connected to the appropriate side member by an elongated hinge structure permitting the movement of the hinged portion of the top along the side member from top to bottom of the latter or in the reverse direction and at the limits of its movement in either direction the top member is moved toward the respective portion of the side member by the hinge connection in a manner to cause a clamping or cramping of the top member against said side member, and when the other end or edge of the top member, that is the end or edge remote from the hinge, is moved into position for fastening it, the clamping or cramping action of the hinge connection is such as to bind all the parts of the collapsible coop or container firmly together. Moreover, the arrangement is such that all hinge connections of the ordinary kind, although present in the structure, are relieved from undue strain which might otherwise be brought upon them, when the expanded and loaded structure is being moved from place toplace.

What is claimed is 1. A foldable structure comprising a bottom member, and top and intermediate members foldable upon the bottom member, with one of the intermediate members being provided with elongated hinge members and the top member having coacting hinge members, and the elongated hinge members having portions tending to move the top memher in the direction of the thickness of the elongated hinge members.

2. In a foldable container, a hinge structure comprising an elongated longitudinally slotted bar having one end turned at an angle and both ends thickened and beveled and a connecting headed member adapted to extend through the slot with the head in engagement with the face of the bar having the beveled portions.

3. A foldable structure including a top member, a bottom member and an intermediate member hinged to the bottom member, said intermediate member being pro vided with slot-ted bars fast thereto and of a length to extend from the top member to the bottom member, said bars each having one end at an angle and both ends beveled and the top member having a headed device adapted to extend through the slot in the bar with the head in engagement with that face of the bar having the beveled portions and the bottom member having a pin adapted to enter the slot in the bar at that end reaching the bottom member.

4. A toldable container comprising a bot tom member, end members hinged thereto and movable into folded relation to the bottom member, side members also hinged. to the bottom member and movable into folded relation thereto on to the end members, one of said side members having elongated hinge structures, and a top member connected to said hinge structures and movable lengthwise thereof with relation to the respective side member, said hinge structures being provided with means for causing a movement of the top member into clamping relation to the other members at both limits of movement oi the top member with relation to the elongated hinge structure.

5. A collapsible container including a top member and a side member hinged together, the hinge connection comprising an elongated bar with an elongated slot and having one end at an angle to the rest ot the bar, said bar being secured to the side member in the direction of the height thereof and said side member having an elongated recess where engaged by the bar, said recess being coincident with the slot in the bar and the top member being provided with a headed connecting device extended through the slot in the bar and engaging the face thereof toward the recess in the side member, said bar having the extremities thickened to form beveled portions on the face of the bar toward the side member.

6. A toldable container having top and side members and a hinge connection between the top and a side member having coacting parts in the respective members, the top member and that part of the connection carried thereby being movable along the part of the hinge connection carried by the side member, and the last-named part of the hinge connection being shaped to cause a movement of the top member substantially perpei'idicular to its movement in the direction of its length.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JEFFERSON D. PACE.

Vitnesses Z J. V. RUDISiLL, HARRY M. RUKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

